Colorado State University-Fort Collins

Public · Moderately Selective · CO

Photo: Spilly816 (CC BY-SA 3.0)

School data & stats

TypePublic

LocationCO · West

SettingUrban

Undergrads25,538

Student:faculty17:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate46.8%

6-yr grad rate66.5%

Drop-out rate14.1%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$13k

Out-of-state tuition$35k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity30.4%

Gender diversity54.9%

International2.3%

Identity—

Overview

Colorado State University is the state's land-grant university, sitting at the foot of the Rocky Mountain foothills in Fort Collins, a bike-friendly college town known for easy access to the outdoors. It combines a strong applied-science research mission with a classic public-flagship campus feel, and its on-campus stadium, opened in 2017 to replace an older off-campus venue, reflects a broader push in recent years to strengthen campus identity and game-day life.

Academics

Veterinary medicine is CSU's signature program and one of the most respected in the country, complemented by strong natural resources, atmospheric science, and biomedical fields. The Flint Animal Cancer Center within the veterinary college is a nationally recognized center for comparative oncology, treating animals while advancing cancer research relevant to humans as well. CSU's atmospheric science program has a long-standing reputation in severe weather and tropical cyclone forecasting research, and the land-grant mission keeps agricultural and environmental research deeply embedded across the curriculum more broadly.

Campus & student life

Fort Collins is consistently regarded as one of the more livable college towns in the country, and the surrounding foothills and mountain access shape student life around hiking, cycling, and outdoor recreation as much as traditional campus social life. The campus itself has a walkable, green character in keeping with the town, and the shift to playing football at an on-campus stadium has given game days a more central role in campus life than when the team played several miles away.

Getting in

Admission is holistic but generally accessible relative to Colorado's most selective options, and applicants to competitive professional tracks like veterinary medicine or specific engineering programs benefit from demonstrating relevant preparation and experience. Because CSU's veterinary program is a graduate-level professional school, undergraduates aiming for it should plan a pre-veterinary track carefully from the start.

After graduation

CSU's veterinary program sends graduates into veterinary practice and animal-science research nationally, while its natural resources and atmospheric science programs feed federal agencies, environmental consultancies, and research institutions, aided by Colorado's concentration of such employers. Graduates of the Flint Animal Cancer Center's research programs also find placement in comparative oncology and biomedical research more broadly.

Worth knowing

CSU's veterinary school is a genuine draw even for students who won't attend it themselves: its research reputation, especially in cancer research through the Flint center, gives pre-vet and biomedical-science undergraduates unusually direct exposure to leading-edge work in the field.

colostate.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate88.5%

Enrolled mid-50%1270

Test policynot used

Rec letters0

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

Early actionNov 15

AdmissionRolling

Verified from the school’s admissions page ↗

Applying (2026-27 cycle)

Apply through Common App.

Early Action is non-binding and simply moves your admission decision and scholarship review earlier; Regular Decision is the standard deadline for full consideration.

Verified from the school’s admissions pages ↗